Wednesday, January 15, 2014

BAND INTERVIEW: Rise Of Avernus (3/01/2014), By Collin Brophy

Q. ROA has come a long way
from that very first show at the Valve Bar, why do you think that is?

Well, all the members of
RoA were active with other bands prior to commencing the project so we had
previous experience behind us which definitely helped us to hit the ground
running, plus we had a very clear vision about what we wanted to achieve
musically and professionally

Q. ROA has played with
some amazing international bands, Apocalyptica and Enslaved just to mention a couple. What
was it like to support and hang out with the guys from Enslaved?

Touring with Enslaved was a
great experience, they put on a superb show night after night and we were very
fortunate to be a part of it, they are all very genuine and down to earth people
which made for a really enjoyable tour.

Q. ROA are lined up to support the mighty Rotting Christ, how did you
manage to get the supporting spot and how excited are you guys for this show?

We are thrilled to be part
of HEAVYFEST as relatively new band on the scene we do get asked a lot about
the ‘how’.
To be honest there were a couple of contributing factors, sometimes it’s just a
case of submitting an application, you never really know what the promoter is
looking for, and because our sound spans over such a broad spectrum of
sub-genres its does help us greatly in that regard. Considering we are a very
active band and the new album also features quite a lot of orchestration.

Q. All members in ROA have different musical influences. How does this
reflect in the style of music you play?

We listen to a wide
variety of music. Ben is a massive Pink Floyd fan, and influenced by bands such
as Alice in Chains, Gojira, Isis
and Opeth. Dan is heavily influenced by jazz and funk, Bands like Bohren &
Der Club Of Gore, Morphine, Red Snapper. Matthew is a huge fan of Die Antwoord,
The Shining (NOR). Cat is influenced by and takes a classical music approach to
her piano riffs.
We write with duelling layered male vocals with the call and response of the
female vocals. The 3 vocalists are more of an element within the music, they
are there to tell a story and enhance the atmosphere of the music rather than
have vocals as a fronted focal point. The next album will focus on this element
even more so…

Q. What kinds of things inspire musically and lyrically? Are there any types
of themes that you like to write and incorporate in to you music? Are there any
messages in your music that you are trying to get out there in your music?

There is usually a theme
and a storyline in the lyrical content of our songs, these may come from
personal experiences, dreams, literature or film. I wouldn’t say there is a
specific message or anything directive in our lyrics though. We aren’t trying
to tell you anything.... We would you rather tell yourself, paint your own
picture. The lyrics are there, interpret them how you will.

Q. How is your album being received by the fans? Any feedback from the
fans on the on the album?

The album has been getting
great online reviews since the Australian release, our fans have given us a lot
of positive feedback and support. With our international release only a couple
of weeks away, it will be interesting how it will be received globally. Whoever
listens to it seems to enjoy it.

Q. ROA are doing an Australian tour to support the new album, what is it
like playing with so many talented Australian metal bands?

It’s great. There are so
many passionate and talented musicians, some great people involved in
supporting the scene here in Australia.
The opportunities we have had to the share the stage with both international
and local/interstate bands has been awesome.

Q. Who and how did you come up with the album name, and the album cover? Who
was the artist that did the cover?

When we were discussing
ideas for an album title, Matthew approached Ben and suggested it, Straight
away is felt very fitting and we all agreed that it would be perfect title for
our debut album. The underlying theme for the album is that of confronting
internal struggles, facing mortality, The beginning and end of life.
We asked Seth Anton from SepticFlesh to design our album cover, The band are
huge fans of his music and artwork.
It is a pleasure working with a professional and talented artist.

Q. Do all of the band members have
a say in the writing process of the music and lyrics?

Ben will usually compose
the songs at his home (December Void studio). After the demos are completed, it
is then introduced to everyone else, dissected, refined, sometimes rewritten…
each song has its own unique process to complete

Q. So what does the future
hold for ROA?

We have recently have
signed to AuralMusic/Code666 for our European release and we are currently half
way through writing our second album. Which is going to be more experimental,
yet very RoA sounding also.
As for the future?
Write Record, Release, and Tour and perform

Thank you for your time and thank you for this opportunity to interview
you.

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